Foreign Minister, Ine Eriksen Søreide of Høyre (H) meets colleagues from 19 countries in Vancouver, Canada on Tuesday to discuss security and stability on the Korean Peninsula.
Canada and the United States will host the Foreign Ministers meeting on Tuesday.
‘Foreign ministers from all over the world will meet to show unity in their opposition to North Korea’s dangerous and illegal acts, and to strengthen the diplomatic efforts to make the Korean Peninsula a nuclear-free, safe and prosperous zone,’ said a Canadian Foreign Ministry statement.
‘Foreign ministers will also discuss how the impact of global sanctions can be strengthened,’ said the statement.
Norway is among the 20 countries who will attend the meeting. China were offered to be present on the sidelines, but said no, according to Canadian media.
‘Clear signals’
‘Norway will send clear signals to allied countries, and the world community, that we are seriously facing the security challenges in the Korean peninsula, in the region and globally,’ said Søreide.
‘North Korea’s nuclear and missile programs could also have devastating affects on the global non-proliferation treaties. With the tense situation we have today around the North Korea question, it is important to find a political solution’, she said.
Søreide will also use her stay in Vancouver to conduct bilateral talks with colleagues from other countries.
Peace Talks
During her visit to the United States last week, Søreide stated that Norway has a tradition of saying yes to requests for peace talks.
‘If the parties want Norway to have a role in facilitating conversations, then we have a tradition to contribute. But we are not there just because of topical issues now’,Søreide told NTB news after Thursday’s meeting with US Secretary of State, Rex Tillerson, in Washington.
‘Norway has been very supportive in our efforts to combat terrorism and IS, as well as sending the right message to North Korea,’ Tillerson said.
He did not answer questions about what he hopes Norway can contribute during the Vancouver meeting.
After the meeting in Washington, Søreide said that there were no specific requests from the American side related to this question.
© NTB Scanpix / Norway Today
